Even in Ohio, reducing solar heat gain and lowering cooling costs is a priority. Commercial glass sizes are typically larger than residential sizes. Without a solar control coating or tinted glass, a large and costly air conditioning system is required to maintain occupant comfort.

TINTED LOW-E UNITS – Tinted Glass is always oriented as the outbound lite in an insulating unit. Tinted Glass with a Low-E Coating, like Pilkington Eclipse Advantage, should be located as the outbound lite with the coating on the #2 surface. If a non-Low-E coated glass product is used as an outbound lite for aesthetic or solar control properties, the inbound lite should be clear with the Low-E Coating oriented to the #3 surface.

Insulating glass units with tinted lites and Low-E Coatings should be evaluated for thermal stress by using thermal stress calculator software. Heat strengthening or tempering the tinted lite will most likely be required.